Ore-concentrator



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ORE CONUENTRATOR-- No. 497,843. Patented May 23, 1893.

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ORB GONCENTRATOR. No. 497,843. Patented May 23, 1893.

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UMTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES B. WALKER, OF TRINIDAD, COLORADO.

ORE-CONCENTRATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 497,843, dated May 23, 1893.

Application filed November 12, 1892. Serial No. 451,721. (No model.)

To a whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. WALKER, of Trinidad, Las Animas county, Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ore-Concentrators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to certain improvements in machines for assorting ores, according to their richness as evinced by their specific gravity, and more particularly to that class of devices which operate by what is known as the wet process, an agitator causing the heavier particles of the crushed and wet ore to first settle in the bottom of the box, and the finer and lighter particles to settle beyond the heavier particles, and the slush, water, &c., is allowed to flow through the tailgate of the machine, as desired.

To the above purposes my invention consists in certain peculiar and novel features of construction and arrangement, as will be hereinafter specified, and pointed out in my claims.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1. is a horizontal section of a building, showing in plan view the ore separating mechanism thereof. Fig. 2. is a vertical sectional view taken on the line X-X of Fig. 1. Fig. 3. is a vertical sectional view taken on the line Y Y of Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is a detail sectienal view enlarged on the line 44. of Fig. 2. Fig. 5. is asectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, to more clearly show the tailgate, and levers for operating the same. Fig. 6. is a detail perspective view of the deflecting and head plates of the machine.

In the drawings,-1 represents a suitable building, which is provided with two or more receptacles, 2, which are preferably of rectangular form and arranged a suitable distance apart and parallel to each other, and are each provided with a tail-gate in their outer end wall, the object and operation of which will be hereinafter described. These receptacles being exactly alike, the description of one will suffice for both.

Located at the opposite, or inner end of the receptacle 2, and a suitable distance from the bottom of the same, is a distributing box 3, which is also of rectangular form, preferably, and which extends transversely of the receptacle. The distributing box 3 is preferably divided into two compartments, 4: and 5, by a vertical partition 6. The bottom of the compartment 5 of the distributing box is provided with a suitable number of holes or perforations 7, opening downwardly over the deflecting board 8, which also extends transversely of the receptacle. The board 8 is arranged obliquely to deflect the crushed and wet ore into the receptacle, and the inner and lower end rests against the upper edge of the board 9, the said upper edge being beveled at 10 to continue flush or even, the surface formed by the upper side of the deflecting board 8. The board 9 forms the head of the receptacle. The channel or groove 11, extends longitudinally of the deflecting board 8 near the lower end thereof.

Pivoted at its uppermost end at 13 to the transversely extending beam 14 of the building, which is a suitable distance above the receptacle 2, is a pendulum bar or rod 12,which extends downwardly to within a suitable distance of the receptacle, and which is provided with a slot 15, extending from near the lower end of the said bars upward for a suitable distance; the object of this slot will be presently explained.

Extending longitudinally of the tank or receptacle is an agitator 16, composed of pendent sticks, faggots, brush, or other suitable material. The agitator is located a slight distance in front of the distributing box and head board of the machine, and is provided with an upwardly extending bar or rod- 17, which rests and'is adjustable longitudinally against the side of the bar or rod 12, by means of a metal band, or sleeve 18, which incloses bar 12, and is secured at its opposite ends to the upper end of the bar or rod 17; and an angle plate 19, is secured at one end to the front side of the bar or rod 17 and has its opposite end 20 engaging and fittingagainst the side of bar 12 opposite to that against which the bar or rod 17 rests. The plate 19 has a hole or perforation 21, through which projects the screw threaded end of a bolt 22. The head 23 of the bolt rests in a recessed channel 24 of the bar 12, which channel extends the entire length of the slot 15, and is not wide enough to allow the bolt to turn when the wing nut is screwed upon the end of the bolt to secure said agitator at a desired distance from the bottom of the receptacle.

The construction of the agitator and its connections, just described, is duplicated over the companion receptacle, and to connect the pendulum bars to operate together, the horizontally arranged link bar 26 is pivoted near its opposite ends at 2727 to said pendulum bars 12, and a suitable distance from their upper ends. A beam 28 extends transversely of each receptacle a suitable distance below the link bar, preferably, and is secured at each end, to the longitudinally extending bars 30 of the frame-work. Each beam 28 is provided with a longitudinal slot 29, in which is guided one of the pendulum bars 12.

Journaled in boxes 31-31 on the upper side of the transversely extending beams 3232 of the framework of the building, and extending longitudinally and centrally of the receptacle 2, is a shaft 33, which has secured on its front end the mitered gear wheel 34, and is provided at its rear end with a crank, 35. A pitman, 86, pivotally engages said crank arm at one end and at its opposite end pivotally engages a Wrist pin 37, projecting outward from the face of the link bar 26.

A shaft 38, extending transversely of the shaft 33, is journaled at its opposite ends in the boxes 39 secured to the beams 30 of the framework of the building, and carries a belt pulley 40 and a mitered gear wheel 41, which meshes with the miter gear 34 of the shaft 33. The tail-gate 42, before mentioned, having vertically extending side flanges 43 engaging retaining cleats 44, closes the opening, or gateway 45, in the end, or outer wall, of each receptacle. A pair of levers, 46, extending transversely toward each other, are pivoted near their middles in the bifurcated lower portions of the pendent brackets, or bars, 47, secured at their upper ends to the beams 30, and a suitable distance from the floor of the building. The adjacent ends of said levers form handles, which one man may operate, and their opposite ends are pivotally connected to the upper ends of the vertically extending bars, or rods, 48, which are secured at their lower ends to the tail-gates of the receptacles. A trough, or gutter, 49 extends from the gateway of each receptacle to the outer side of the building.

It will be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise construction illustrated,

* as the arrangement of the shafting and the framework of the building may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

From the above description it will be seen that as the wet and crushed ore is let into, and spreads over, the shallow trough, or compartment, 4, into the compartment 5 and through the distributing box into the receptacle, it is stirred, or agitated, by the lateral swinging movement of the agitator caused by the operation of the machinery described, and that this action of the agitator insures the settling of the heavier ore at the front portion of the box, and the lighter particles are carried and settled beyond the position of the heavier particles; the sluice gate is then operated, and the water and earth flows to the outside of the building. 'The groove, or channel, 11 of the deflecting plate 8 collects any quick silver, or amalgam, that leavesthe copper ore when passing over the deflecting plate.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is d 1. An improved ore concentrator, comprising an ore receptacle, a distributing box located at one end of said receptacle, a sluice opening, or gate way, located at the opposite end of said receptacle, a tail-gate adapted to normally close said sluice opening, or gateway, an obliquely arranged deflecting plate, and ahead plate, having its upper end bev eled to continue flush with the upper surface of the deflecting plate leading to the interiorof said receptacle, a pair of pendulum bars, a longitudinal bar pivotally connecting said pendulum bars, and an agitator secured to the lower end of each pendulum bar, substantially as described.

2. An ore concentrator, comprising a receptacle, an agitator, a slotted guide bar located vertically above the agitator, a pendulum bar, pivoted at its upper end above, andadapted to operate in said slotted guiderbar, and a bar vertically and longitudinally adjustable upon the pendulum bar and secured to the agitator, substantially as set forth.

3. An ore concentrator,comprising a pair of receptacles, a pair of pendulum bars, a pair of agitators, a pair of vertically abjustable bars connecting said pendulums and agitators, a horizontally extending link bar connecting said pendulums, a longitudinally arranged shaft having a crank arm, and a pitman bar connect-ing said horizontally and transversely extending link bar with the crank arm of said shaft, substantially as .described.

4. An ore concentrator, comprising a receptacle, a laterally vibrating agitator, a transversely extending, and slotted, guide bar,a longitudinal slotted pendulum bar guided therein, a vertically extending bar secured to said agitator, a sleeve attached to said bar and inclosing the pendulum bar, an angle plate secured to said bar, having its guide arm bearing against the pendulum bar, abolt passing through the slot and through the angle plate and the clamping nut engaging said bolt, substantially as described,

5. In an improved ore concentrator, a number of receptacles, a number of pendulum bars, a number of .agitators vertically adjustable and connected to said pendulum bars, a

ranged crank shaft, and a pitman rod connecting said crank arm pivotally with the horizontally arranged link bar, substantially 10 as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES B. WALKER.

Witnesses:

JOHN MAYER, S. F. CLARY. 

